Alpenfest
by Cats070911
Summary: His sergeant is angry with Tommy because he is abusing their friendship to avoid his mother's matchmaking. His sister is being married and Tommy convinces Barbara to attend. The more time Tommy spends with Barbara the stronger and more inconvenient are his fantasies.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: **All usual disclaimers apply.

"You had no right to tell your sister I'd be there."

Detective Inspector Tommy Lynley ran his hand through his hair. He knew his irascible sergeant was right but that did not change the fact that he needed her to agree. "I know. I'm sorry Barbara but I was pushed into a corner."

"How?" Havers demanded angrily. Barbara was sick of her boss using her to deflect his mother. She had attended one function at Howenstowe not long after he had returned to work after his wife Helen's death, and now every time his mother tried to get him circulating socially Tommy tried to use her as the excuse. _Either date me properly or not at all!_

"Mother kept reeling off a list of suitable escorts and I couldn't bear the thought of that so I just blurted it out."

She eyed him suspiciously. "Just blurted what out exactly?"

Tommy looked everywhere around his office but at her. "I said that I had invited you and you were delighted to come."

Barbara fumed at his presumption. At least the other times he had hinted or asked her first. "Well I'm not delighted Sir and I'm not going. I'll ring Judith and explain that the mighty Lord Asherton had made some erroneous assumptions, like he often does, about my availability and willingness to say how high when he says jump, and that I will not be accompanying you to her wedding. Does that sound polite enough or should I just ring and tell her that her brother is an arrogant so and so who thought that a weekend in Sweden would be something I'd jump at."

"Switzerland," he corrected her, "the ceremony is in Zermatt."

"I don't care if it's in the mat, on the mat or under the mat! I. Am. Not. Going!" Despite the circumstances Tommy laughed and was soon rebuked. "What's so bloody funny?"

"Your mat joke. It was quite witty."

"I'm glad I amuse you. It will give you something to chortle about when you sit around the fire in your moon boots sipping cognac talking about how 'absolutely brill' the slopes were today!"

"Moon boots? Don't be absurd Barbara. They went out as après ski wear in the nineties! Besides I do not chortle and we're going for a wedding not a ski weekend. It's August for heaven's sake."

"They ski all year in Switzerland. I'm sure you will find time to hurtle down a hill trying to break your precious neck."

"Then come with me and save me from risking life and limb."

"No! N. O!"

"Why don't you sleep on it and we can talk about it tomorrow?"

She shook her head. "You just don't get it do you? No! Period. Full stop. End of argument." Barbara stormed from his office and slammed the door. Tommy stood and walked around his desk wondering what to do. He kicked the waste paper bin across the floor. It clattered against the wall and Tommy swore. He had scuffed his best brogues.

It was nearly nine o'clock that evening before he tracked her down. She was with Stuart Lafferty at the Golden Duck. Tommy hated that pub with it's plastic and vinyl new age furniture and annoying lounge music. It was not Barbara's style either so he knew she was avoiding him. She sat facing away from the door and he was able to sit beside her before she noticed. He exchanged pleasantries with Stuart who, sensing tension, quickly excused himself leaving them to talk.

"I haven't changed my mind if that's why you're here."

"No," he sighed, "I came to apologise."

"Okay."

"What?"

"You can start whenever you're ready." She secretly liked this part of their arguments when Tommy was wrong. She liked to make him squirm just enough to make him uncomfortable but not too much to make him too proud to speak.

"I'm sorry I told Mother you would come before I asked you and I'm sorry I used you to avoid family issues."

"Accepted. Do you fancy a pint?"

"I'll get it," he said. He returned with two and they clinked glasses before he took a sip. It was impossible these days for them to remain angry for more than a few hours. "Would you have come if I had asked you properly?"

Barbara avoided his eyes knowing that if he gave her that special look of his and a smile she would give in. "Maybe. One day you'll ask instead of ordering me and then we'll know how I would react."

"Will you come with me?"

She looked at him. "No."

Tommy sighed and for the next hour they talked about their cases. It was easy conversation and Tommy was relieved that she had lost her anger toward him. He did not like arguing with her but it had been part of their relationship from the start and would no doubt remain so. He drove her home to save her the Tube trip and as she went to get out of the car he chanced his hand again. "Barbara, Judith is being married in two weeks in a lovely village in Switzerland. The family are spending five days there in a house. I would like it very much if you accompanied me as my friend and guest which means I insist on paying for the fares and the accommodation. Hillier will give us the leave if I ask. This has nothing to do with Mother or duty. I want you to share the weekend with me. Will you accompany me please Barbara?"

"Yes." Barbara got out of the car and shut the door and marched towards her flat wondering what she had just done. She had agreed simply because he had learned to ask nicely and she wanted to reward him. _He's not a Labrador that's just retrieved his first stick!_ Shaking her head she let herself inside. She sank back against the door and swore. He had given her 'that look' and she had given in without a fight.

Tommy was still recovering from the shock. He had not expected that technique to work so easily. He must learn to ask her things more often. He had meant it though; he wanted to show her Zermatt and enjoy spending time in the mountains that he had always found romantic. An image of kissing her on the Gornergrat terrace overlooking the Matterhorn flashed through his mind. Smiling and chuckling to himself he drove home.

Two weeks later Barbara looked out of the plane's window as they were coming in to land at Geneva. Tommy sat cheerily in the aisle seat and smiled at her. "Cheer up Barbara, you'll enjoy yourself."

"I should have said I don't have a passport," she grumbled. She dreaded the next few days. His family were always friendly and kind but Barbara still feared she would do or say something to embarrass Tommy. It was important to her that he retained his good opinion of her. They still argued but it seemed different now, almost as if it was part of a ritual. They had become closer friends with each passing year and she did not want to endanger that in any way.

"And I'd have known you were lying. I certified your passport photo last year remember?"

His smile was broad and friendly and Barbara nodded then smiled back. Although she dreaded the weekend in one way, in another way it was exciting. She had never been to Switzerland before. "How long after we land?"

Tommy tried to share the armrest between their seats but their hands accidentally brushed and he pulled away. "About three and a half to four hours. We catch a train at the airport to go to Visp then change for Zermatt. It's a very pretty trip."

"Through the mountains?" The journey sounded much longer than she had expected which was good as she would have to spend less time being sociable with the family.

"Partly but also along the lake."

They sat in silence for most of the flight. Now that she was actually here Tommy wondered why it had been so important to him. He could easily have told Judith the truth and she would have helped with his Mother but he had wanted Barbara to come along. He was becoming dependent on seeing her everyday and on the days he did not see her he thought about when he would see her again. Since she had agreed to come he had thought about nothing more than spending time with her showing her the sights. He rationalized it by convincing himself that it was because she had never been here before but he knew it was much more. His mental images had extended to kissing her on the hiking trails of Rothorn, by the river, on the cable car to the glacier; in fact his list was quite expansive. He wanted to spend everyday of his life with her and it was a dangerous thought. Tommy had no idea if Barbara shared any of his feelings. She was always quietly in control and her soft smiles could easily be just that of a close friend.

The transition from plane to train was fast with politely efficient immigration and a rapid baggage system. The sleek red and white train looked fast and Barbara feared the countryside would pass in a blur. She settled comfortably into the window seat on the right side of the train which Tommy had insisted would offer better views. Tommy had insisted on first class seats, something Barbara thought was unnecessary but as she had agreed to come as his guest she had not demurred. The seats were plush with a grey, velvety upholstery and had a back that curved around and seemed to cocoon her. There very few other passengers but as the train waited three minutes at Geneva's main station Barbara watched with amusement as a large lady carefully spread a blanket over a seat. She then whistled and a large, woolly dog came bounding into the carriage and jumped up onto the blanket and sat contentedly looking out the window.

As the train swept through the suburbs Barbara admired the different architecture and feel of the country. It was very different to England with its historic terrace houses interspersed with modern, bold buildings and blandly practical apartment blocks that looked planned and ordered unlike the haphazard development of London. The view of Geneva was too hurried to see much but as the train ran along the lake the views became captivating. Tommy leant forward in his seat and turned to the window so that he could point out the cloud-covered Mont Blanc and the French side of the lake. The train swept passed small towns and villages but after Lausanne the scenery became more rural. The shimmering lake was close to the track and stretched up the hills as far as the eye could see were vineyards. The breezes wafted across the neat lines of vines making the leaves sway and dip in synch with the lapping waves of the lake. "It's beautiful," Barbara repeated for about the fiftieth time making Tommy smile.

"It's even more spectacular from the water. There's a scenic ferry from Montreux. Perhaps we can catch that on the way back if we leave enough time."

"I'd like that," she said as she turned and smiled at him. Barbara was relaxing. He could tell she was enjoying her trip so far and he vowed they would have an argument free weekend.

Tommy smiled back and as they approached Vevey he told her about the railways that zigzagged dramatically up the steep mountains that had replaced the gentler lakeside hills. He told her of the cheese making villages and the mountain chocolatiers. "I'll bring you back one day and we can go up. I think you'd like it."

Barbara thought about the chocolate. "I would," she replied before she realised what he had implied. Tommy had actually suggested they could holiday together. She blushed and felt her face get hotter as he looked at her and grinned with that doe-eyed expression that was so endearing. Thankfully he was completely oblivious to the way she felt about him but she needed to do a better job of hiding it this weekend or someone would notice.

Tommy continued to talk but Barbara was not entirely focused. She was imagining what it would be like to spend time alone with Tommy when they were not working or visiting his family. Would they have anything to talk about? Their world was work. Other than that they had nothing in common. Suddenly she was sad and disconnected.

"What's wrong?" Tommy noticed the change in Barbara's face and demeanour.

"Oh, sorry. Nothing really. What were you saying?"

"The Chateau de Chillon is coming up. It is a classic styled castle on an island just off shore. 'There are seven pillars of Gothic mould, in Chillon's dungeons deep and old'."

"What?"

"Lord Bryon, he wrote a poem about an imprisoned monk called 'The Prisoner of Chillon' set in the castle."

"Of course." Barbara smiled tightly. It reinforced her thoughts. _We live in different worlds._

The castle disappeared quickly as the train sped by. It was quaint and mystical and reminded her of the Disneyland castle, an observation that when she mentioned to Tommy he rebutted with factual arguments that missed her point. Barbara sighed. She had been deluding herself. This was going to be a very long five days.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note:** An apology to any German speakers. Tommy's German is a bit rusty, akin to the standard of Google Translator in fact! And their new friends' English is almost right.

Oh, and my schedule for this one is to release a chapter about every two days so it takes us almost to Christmas.

* * *

><p>Barbara stood on the open station waiting for Tommy to organise their bags. Well his bags actually as everything she needed had fitted neatly into her backpack which lay at her feet. She was waiting at the blue figure six that was painted with typical Swiss efficiency to mark exactly where their carriage door would open. She watched him hurrying up the platform politely smiling as he navigated around a group of men with long canvas sacks. The years had taken their toll. His face was more lined than it had been when they met. The square, chiselled jaw that had been so certain about life was more rounded and softened by an echoing roll that sat below it. When he smiled his cheeks were much fuller but if anything they set off his expressive brown eyes more than ever. Barbara sighed; she could lose herself completely in those eyes.<p>

"Sorry, I had to bring some of Judith's gear with me." He was panting slightly but was trying hard not to let it show.

"I was beginning to think Lord Asherton on holidays was even more of a decadent packer than DI Lynley."

"Tommy Lynley on holiday is the most frugal of all my personalities. You are relatively familiar with the other two but I hope you get to know him a little more over the next few days."

Those eyes had a mischievous glint and Barbara blushed, unsure what to say. She looked past Tommy and was intrigued by the men and their sacks. "What do those men have in those bags?"

"Alpenhorns," Tommy answered disinterestedly knowing she was avoiding talking about anything personal.

"Excuse me?"

"Alpenhorns. They're a mountain musical instrument. Quite haunting really when they stand on top of a hill and play down into the valley."

Three men struggled to balance their eight foot long horns as they weaved up the platform before stopping behind Barbara. They were about forty and had clearly been indulging in too many steins of lager. Two of them exchanged a comment in German then sniggered.

Tommy turned on them. "Genug! Sprechen nicht von mienem Freund."

"Entchuldigung Herr." The men bowed courteously at Barbara. "Tut mir Leid frau."

"What did they say?" Barbara asked as she smiled at them.

"It doesn't matter. They apologised," he replied brusquely. He was not going to tell her what they had suggested Barbara could do with their horns. He looked at her closely. They were right though, she had lovely fine lips. He had never really noticed that before; his focus had always been on her emerald eyes. For a moment he was transported back to Billy Verger's cottage and the moment he had tried to explain how the divine proportion could be applied to faces and realised that despite her attempt to disguise it with a shaggy haircut, baggy clothes and self-deprecating comments she was quite beautiful.

"Clearly something unpleasant," she said, "probably noticed I was not up to your standard."

"Rubbish Havers." He turned to the men who were standing sheepishly behind them. "Sprechen die Englisch?"

The biggest man answered, "Ja, ve speak English."

Barbara seized her chance. "Then what did you say about me?"

The man was clearly uncomfortable. "Please, ve are sorry. Ve make poor joke. Ve are going to Alpenfest and drunk too much already."

Barbara could tell they were no different to hundreds of drunks she had arrested who liked to show off for their friends. "It's okay. What is Alpenfest?"

"The Zermatt folklore festival. Ve hold every August on the second weekend. Ve go to play and drink."

Tommy started to laugh. "Of all the weekends my sister has to be married in the middle of a festival."

"Do you think she knew?" Barbara asked.

He shrugged. "Somehow I suspect not."

The men were friendly and had travelled down from Lucerne for the weekend. They told them about the history of the festival and the activities. There would be a parade and drinking, and music and drinking, and storytelling and drinking, and folk dancing and drinking. For Barbara the idea of people dressing in traditional costumes and herding black-necked goats through the village to the sound of alpenhorns was so far removed from London life that it fired her imagination. It might also be good to share an experience with Tommy that was not family and not work. "So really it is about drinking," she joked, "that sounds like fun Sir, we should go."

Tommy did not share her enthusiasm but could tell she was keen. "Yes, okay, if you want to go."

Barbara knew from his tone that he was only being polite. She wondered when and how he ever relaxed, other than alone with alcohol. In her fantasies she had imagined him to be an attentive and generous lover but watching him now she realised he was always slightly guarded, even with her. She concluded that this tension cut across everything that he did. When she thought about it he had been like that with Helen, uptight and afraid to let the real Tommy out. She remembered watching him kiss Helen once. It had been nervous and forced. Perhaps he would be like that all the time, afraid to let go and just be himself, afraid to take a chance and surrender to the moment. _But who is the real Tommy Lynley? Does he even know?_

"It'd do you good."

Tommy frowned at her harsh tone. He could kick himself. He wanted her to enjoy herself and to learn to relax around him and yet he had offhandedly dismissed something harmless that she would enjoy. In reality he was jealous that she had established an easy rapport with drunken strangers and after nine years could still not even call him by name. He was determined that was going to change but he knew he also had to take things slowly.

The group continued to chat and Tommy tried hard to be amiable. When the train arrived it was already crowded with revellers who had boarded at Brig. They pushed onto their panoramic carriage and squeezed past women in gaily embroidered swirling skirts and men in peasant shirts and buttoned trousers. They found their seats and sat down. Barbara was watching the passengers but also trying to look out through the angled panoramic glass windows which curved across the roof to expose the imposing sides of the valley. Tommy smiled lovingly at Barbara. She was like a child seeing Christmas for the first time. When they passed a waterfall that roared down the steep rocks she gasped and touched his arm. Electricity surged through him. She turned to look at him and her smile made all reason disappear. He wanted to kiss her and the way she was looking at him gave him hope that she might not object. The carriage was full of noise and excitement but Tommy's whole attention was focused on her. Her lips would be soft and her kiss would be sweet. It was not the most romantic spot he could choose but maybe just a quick kiss, some type of signal of intent.

From the back of the carriage the strains of a lively beer drinking tune drifted toward them. "Oh look Sir, an oompah band!"

"A what?" Tommy had been so lost in his fantasies that it took him some seconds to recognise the sound of the brass band. The spell was broken and his moment had been lost.

"Over there. Men in leather shorts and braces with big shiny trumpets and horns."

Tommy was grumpy that he had missed his opportunity with Barbara. "Lederhosen and the horns are tubas. The dress is more traditionally Bavarian but has been adopted as a de facto symbol for all things German. This part of Switzerland, despite being so close to both France and Italy is German speaking, although most of them are Roman Catholic."

"Right, thanks for the geography lesson Sir. Can't you ever just enjoy something without having to educate me or correct me?"

"I'm sorry. I was trying to enhance your experience."

"Yeah? Well don't try so hard Sir. I'll either enjoy it or hate it but it will be my reaction, from my frame of reference. I'm never going to be a well-educated woman of the world like Deborah or your other friends. I'm always going to be me. Don't try to make into something I can never be."

"I'm not," he cried plaintively._ I like you just as you are._

"Good." Barbara turned away from him and looked out the window. She could see his face reflected in the glass. A minute before when he had looked at her after she touched his arm it had taken her breath away. Those eyes! She had wanted to reach out and caress his face. She had panicked at the thought and distracted him but then it had led inevitably to an argument. He looked perplexed and hurt at her outburst. She had not meant to upset him but she wanted him to understand she was always going to be who she was and that was not someone who had travelled widely and understood the nuances of national dress. Watching his face more closely now she could see a deep melancholy behind his eyes. She imagined he had been keen to make up for his assumptions and was eager for her to enjoy herself and now she had spoiled it. _Would it kill you to be nice to him?_

Barbara turned to Tommy. "The terrain is breathtaking. Tell me about Zermatt and the house we are staying in."

If most women were a puzzle to men Barbara was as hard to understand as the Enigma code. He was sure there was a pattern if only he had the key to understanding it. One minute she berated him for telling her too much and the next she is asking for more. He had a good mind to tell her to find out for herself but he suspected this was her olive branch.

"The train follows the valley which I think is the deepest in Switzerland. It gets more spectacular further up where the mountains get closer. This is a narrow gauge cog railway and we climb up almost a kilometre."

Barbara resumed her position and looked out the window. She seemed genuinely fascinated by the scenery and the tunnels and snow covers over the track. Tommy lent over her shoulder and pointed out some of the scenery. It was an innocent pose but he relished being physically closer to her. He could smell the fresh citrus in her hair and allowed his cheek to gently brush it. She was wearing it a little longer these days and he was tempted to sweep it back and kiss her neck. He shivered and with effort he brought his urges under control. "The town itself was little more than a farming village until the Matterhorn was first climbed in 1865. That brought tourism but it is still mainly rural. There are no cars up there so it is horses, a few electric delivery vans and walking."

"Oh, I assumed it would be a big town with hotels and pubs."

"It is bigger than you think and has plenty of those but in a sedate, Swiss way. Mother says the house we have rented is on the far end of town overlooking the Matterhorn. She told me it is a bit too modern for her taste. Lots of wood and glass I suspect. I do know it has large open fire and a sauna. Mother has put Judith in the master bedroom and after the ceremony William will join her but until then he has one of the small rooms. I have the other one and you and Mother have the other bigger bedrooms."

"I should have the smallest one. You're the Lord."

Tommy looked at her and seeing she was serious, laughed. "Don't be ridiculous. My precious poncy head will be quite comfortable anywhere. You're my guest. Mother knows what she is doing so don't insult her choices."

"No Sir. Sorry."

"And I don't suppose we could drop the Sir this weekend could we? You've known me for nearly a decade so I think you have heard my real name used once or twice. Perhaps you could use it too seeing we're holidaying together."

His head was still close to hers and it was so tempting to turn her face towards him but she was too fearful that her eyes would betray her. Barbara turned scarlet and hissed, "we are not holidaying together. I'm accompanying you to your sister's wedding. Anyway Sir seems natural."

"So when I am not with you do you think to yourself 'I must ask Sir' or do you think 'I must ask Tommy' or is it Lord Asherton or Mr Lynley?"

If it were possible she blushed more. Her ears burned as the blood filled them and she was amazed that he had not moved away from the radiant heat. "The DI probably," she muttered. It was a lie. She always thought of him as Tommy but saying it was one step too far.

"Right. I am not sure I want to be called 'The DI' all weekend. See if you can manage a Tommy or two but if not we might stick to Sir. Although I do rather fancy Your Lordship every now and again." He was not angry. It was a lost cause but at least he had asked. He had tumbled onto the key to getting her to come with him. He might just stumble on the next cipher key too. He wondered idly how many Enigma had used._ Five perhaps? To give thousands of possible combinations_. He sighed unconsciously.

Barbara felt his sigh and thought it was disappointment. "Yes Your Lordship or is that no?" she pondered cheekily to remove any further awkwardness.

"Touché Sergeant."

Tommy sat back in his seat as the train slowly wound up the mountain. Barbara's face was glued to the window and he watched her more than he looked at the view. She was amused by the village of St Niklaus and the way the train seemed to pass through its centre. The houses were like a scene from a Sound of Music with whitewashed ground floors tops by dark wooden rooms with small windows and bright red flowers growing in window boxes beneath them. The church tower was square with thin windows that betrayed the different levels. The gold Roman numerals on the black-faced clock twinkled in the noon sunlight which also made the red onion dome of the church gleam. "It's beautiful," she saw awestruck.

"Any sign of the man?" Tommy asked trying to rekindle conversation.

Her smile made his insides jump. "Thank you for bringing me Si...Your Lordship."

"You haven't had to put up with the family and especially Mother yet."

"No but I hadn't realised how stifling London can get at times. This makes you think about things very differently."

He looked deep into her eyes and his insides shifted again. There was just a hint that maybe his feelings were reciprocated. "Yes it does but it also makes things clearer."

The train plunged into darkness as they entered a tunnel. He felt Barbara jump and all the passengers went "oooooooo!". He grabbed her hand and lent across. "They do that every time." She squeezed his hand and then let go. They were back in daylight before he had stolen the kiss that he so desperately wanted. He cursed again that his timing was so poor.

Barbara stared at the Matterhorn as it came into view amongst the snow-capped mountains backlit by a cobalt sky. The sun reflected off the brilliant white cap spotlighting the familiar icy grey face. The scene was too swift to take in and she was disappointed as the mountain slipped from view. "I need a new word," she told Tommy.

"Why?"

"I must have used beautiful a hundred times today and it doesn't do justice to it."

"No is doesn't," he said looking at her glowing face, "for some beauty there are no words."

She nodded believing he was referring to the majestic mountain scenery but thinking that applied equally to his tender but tormented soul. She had no idea he was referring to her.


	3. Chapter 3

The train wound its way into Zermatt. It emptied slowly as women juggled costumes they were not used to and instruments were carefully manipulated around sharp corners. Tommy retrieved their luggage. They walked outside the station to find his mother waiting. "Tommy! Barbara! How wonderful to see you both."

"Mother," he replied evenly with no great enthusiasm but at least without the bitterness that had blighted their relationship for so long.

"Good afternoon Lady Asherton," Barbara said politely.

"Dorothy or Daze," she replied, "I simply refuse to answer to Lady Asherton." She did not add that it was awkward to think of herself again that way since Helen's death. She was waiting patiently to pass the title to Tommy's next wife and again be the dowager. "Not Dot though, it makes me sound too insignificant."

Barbara laughed but Tommy simply glared at her. Daze sensed the tension and sighed. One day her son might truly forgive her. He would come to understand that love is not as clear cut as he might like to think. She had still loved his father but she had needed something more that he could no longer give. It may have been selfish and it had cost her the love and respect of her son but even now, knowing that, she would probably take up with Trenarrow again.

Dorothy knew it was possible to love two men at once, in different ways, for different reasons. She just wished Tommy could see his hypocrisy. It had been clear to everyone, including Helen, that Tommy needed Barbara. He loved her in some unfathomable way that Dorothy had hoped would not create tension in his marriage. She knew her son would never have acknowledged it and most certainly never broken his vows, at least not in a physical sense, but it was obvious to everyone but them how they balanced and steadied each other. She had watched with some sadness on his engagement weekend how he and Helen had drifted apart since he had met Barbara. Helen could not meet his emotional needs in the way Barbara seemed to effortlessly do. Dorothy had no idea why such a mismatch of backgrounds and experiences worked but it did. At the time she knew he and Helen were marrying to try to keep something they once shared alive but it had returned Tommy to her and she had believed they would make it work. She needed her son back And had been prepared to trade off his happiness for it. Pursuing Barbara she had feared would only drag him further away.

She had often wondered if she should have stepped in; if she should have made him understand. When she had spoken with Helen by the boat she had sensed resignation and isolation in his bride-to-be. She was clearly not in love with Tommy in the way he needed her to be. Helen had known it, she had known it, but neither could contemplate the alternative. Helen was of his class. Their match was acceptable and their children would have a secure future. But it was never going to satisfy either of them; not fully. Helen needed all of Tommy yet Tommy had needed Barbara, he just did not understand why and could not let her go.

In recent months Tommy had spoken about Barbara so often that his mother had begun to hope that their love had finally broadened into something physical; something tangible that they could understand. She had tested him this weekend by pounding him with suggestions for escorts. She had wanted him to tell her the truth. She was quite prepared to be flexible about the bedroom arrangements but had assigned separate rooms in case they preferred discretion. Seeing them together now, both wound as tightly as a Swiss watch spring, she knew they would need separate rooms. They had certainly not admitted how they felt to each other and she feared Tommy may not have admitted it to himself. She sighed and hoped that the scenery and wedding might fire the right neural pathways.

The house came with an electric golf buggy which Tommy skillfully drove under his mother's vague directions. Barbara had expected a small house like the fascinating chocolate-brown chalets that filled the town. As they got further away from the main street the houses had become more modern and architecturally adventurous but this one defied belief. As Tommy had predicted it was full of sparkling glass and steel to support windows that seemed to literally reach out to the view. The entrance level was built of stacked river stones that gave the building a solidity that the floating glass did not. It was spectacular and Barbara was impressed. "Wow, it's, it's..."

"Beautiful," Tommy said to finish her sentence. He and Barbara laughed heartily as Daze looked on, understanding it must be a private joke. When they laughed together she could see that they shared an understanding that many couples never achieve. They made a good couple. Class and breeding mattered little if you were happy and Daze wanted her son to be happy. She decided instantly on a new mission this weekend - to give nature a nudge.

The four levels of the house spilled down the hill and looked down across the remnants of streaky green meadows to the Matterhorn. The snowy peaks and puffy clouds that stood out from the deep blue sky were reflected in the massive glass wall of the second level. The Matterhorn was imposing and dominated the landscape but the tan hued wood that gave the chalet form seemed to rise up to challenge it with its sharp triangular windows and wrap-around balconies. Barbara had never seen anything like it and she felt small standing watching the house and the mountain duel for attention.

"I think this setting is perfect for the wedding," Tommy declared.

"Personally I think the whole thing is a disaster. This house is so modern and the town is full of drunken musicians and Swiss hippies," she retorted.

"Swiss hippies?" Tommy rolled his eyes and Barbara clamped her lips together in an effort not to smile.

"It will be exciting...Daze," Barbara said tentatively hoping not to offend her host.

"I don't know why they couldn't be married in a church somewhere instead of on a mountain. Judith probably has a goat lined up to be bridesmaid!" She turned on her heel and stomped up the stairs leaving Tommy and Barbara standing at the entrance. Barbara started to chuckle and Tommy snickered. The more they tried to be quiet the louder they laughed. Tommy liked to watch her eyes as she laughed. He pondered if they would shine like that when he made love to her.

His mother's voice calling them prevented his mind wondering further. He retrieved the bags and balanced them on his hips and followed his mother inside. Barbara helped and whispered, "your mother hates it but I think something like this would be wonderful on that hill above Howenstowe where you could watch the moods of the sea and the cliffs."

_The moods of the sea!_ Tommy frowned at Barbara's unusually poetic language. He had more contemporary taste than his mother but he was dubious about the imposition of such a structure on the green hills of his ancestral lands. One step inside the open planned living area changed his mind. Oak beams supported a timber-lined roof that instantly evoked memories of cold nights and warm fires. On the Matterhorn side of the room the timbers of the roof stopped abruptly where glass had been used to show the full height of the mountain. Heavy pine pillars framed the sweeping view through enormous windows. At its centre were three pieces of glass that butted together into a pyramidic structure that floated out from the house. The mountains, speckled with wildflowers, sloped down on all sides to draw his eyes onto the heart of the town where the centuries old black larch barns that had been converted into houses stood as a proud echo of the past dotted amongst the lighter spruce and glass of the tourist zone. In any season it would be a fascinating and ever changing view. Barbara had been right, this would complement Cornwall's moods to perfection.

Barbara was also staring at the house and the view. An enormous cream leather lounge that would easily seat fifteen people was arranged in a u-shape and dominated the room. Large, brightly coloured, shaggy rugs broke up the mass of the timber floor. Behind the steel and leather chairs the dining area's large glass table was supported by a single central column that had a large pit in the centre. She wandered over to inspect it just as Judith and William came into the room.

Tommy introduced William to Barbara then everyone exchanged pleasantries and talked about the trip over, the wedding plans and the scenery.

"Did Peter change his mind?" Tommy asked his sister.

"No, not with the baby due so soon. It's a long way from the States if anything goes wrong with Edwena. He's happy Tommy. You really should try to visit him," his mother said trying not to sound as if she was lecturing him.

"Well I'm pleased he is making a go of it."

Barbara was trying not to listen to family intimacies and wandered over to the table that fascinated her. "It's a fire," Judith said noticing Barbar's interest. She pressed a switch on the wall and a roaring flame shot from the table then settled into a warming, flickering glow. "There's a bigger version on the main balcony. It's quite romantic."

Barbara glanced at Tommy then felt her face begin to colour so she stepped away and gazed out the window. He had been watching her and their eyes had met when Judith had spoken of romance. He had smiled softly and Barbara thought she would melt on the spot. His eyes were always her undoing.

"We definitely need a new word," Tommy said as he came up and stood just behind her. He was tempted to put his arm around her shoulder in a brief hug but with his family watching he knew it would embarrass her.

"Hmm. Glorious, magnificent, wonderous. They all work but don't capture it." Barbara could sense his body close to her back and she wanted to just lean into it. His eyes had shown just the barest glimmer of interest but she feared it was the scenery and the wedding talk that was affecting her reason. Tommy was her friend. He was not going to be her lover.

They stood together silently while Daze fussed around Judith then came over and directed them to their rooms. Barbara was on the top level away from the other bedrooms, something that Daze apologised for but which suited Barbara admirably. She found the room and entered with no expectations. She gazed around at the room unsure where to look first.

As they left the room Judith and her mother exchanged knowing looks. "You didn't put them on the same floor?" Judith asked impishly.

"No, I think the room Barbara is in might be more effective shall we say."

"Mother, you're incorrigible."

"I don't understand," William said innocently, "why separate rooms?"

"Barbara is Tommy's work partner not his lover," Judith answered.

"Oh! Really? Are you sure? I saw the look they exchanged when you mentioned the fire." The women looked at each other. It was not their imagination.

"Everybody can see it but the," Daze said cheerfully, "we need to change that."

Tommy's room was a level below where Barbara was to sleep, in a section that jutted out from the main building. Thick sheepskin rugs were scattered across the floor of the room. The large bed was against a stacked stone floating wall which separated sleeping and bathing areas. The bed faced a large but modest window with a pleasing vista beyond. There was a large television in the corner but Tommy preferred the windows on the side wall that angled parallel with the steep roofline and framed the caps of Klein Matterhorn. He could not help but wonder what Barbara's room was like. He wanted to lie here tonight imagining her there so he dropped his bag, not bothering to unpack, and hurried up the stairs.

The soft knock at the door was almost missed by Barbara who was still staring at her room in disbelief. She opened it and let Tommy in. His amazed face echoed hers. "I think this is wonderful," he said gazing up at the mountain through the peaked, steel framed glass panels that formed her ceiling. His imagination ran wild. One wall was just glass and overlooked the valley. In front of it was a large, double, gleaming white bathtub and an open fire pit. The huge bed was in the centre of the room on a raised timber dais that was illuminated from beneath with a soft yellow glow. It was dressed with crisp white sheets and a large brown fur rug that gave the room added sensuality. A tingle ran across his ribs. All Tommy could think about was making love to Barbara here under a starry sky; in the bath, on the bed, on the rug, on the floor. He could almost see her sitting in the tub with the fire's glow highlighting the copper in her hair. In her hand she was holding a flute of champagne beckoning him to join her. He could almost feel the silkiness of her naked shoulders which were a tantalizing hint of what lay below the top of the bath. He would kiss her neck and her throat then slowly kiss every inch of her.

"Earth to Your Lorship!"

"Sorry I was carried away by the view."

"I know. I can't stop staring at it all. I think my bath tonight will be very pleasant." Barbara would enjoy it a lot more if Tommy could join her but knowing he would be in the house added a wickedness to her own fantasy.

They were alone at last and Tommy knew that if he wanted to he could test her feelings for him. He could ask her, which would be simplest but probably mortifyingly embarrassing for both of them, or he could take her in his arms and kiss her. _Tenderly or lustfully?_ He felt love and desire but how could he balance it? In this mood lust would definitely triumph and yet he wanted their first kiss to be nothing but love. As he silently debated Barbara moved to the window. Tommy followed her and knowing he was not going to act he put his arm around her shoulder. It was an old, familiar gesture that reminded them both of their friendship.

Barbara sighed contentedly. She lent into Tommy as much as she dared. "I'm glad you invited me Your Lordship."

"I'm glad you came."

"William seems nice and Judith seems happy."

"Yes she does. She deserves to find love again." Tommy dropped his arm away thinking it had been there too long. "Come on. We should have something to eat."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note:** I have always preferred the BBC interpretation of Tommy and Barbara and some of the backstory and episodes differ considerably from the books. Here I needed some backstory in the next few chapters so have adapted from the books rather than create something new.

* * *

><p>"I thought we might all have dinner tonight around nine," Daze breezily told Tommy when they came back to the main room.<p>

It was only three o'clock but they had missed lunch and he was not going to wait six hours to eat. Tommy considered making Barbara a late lunch but Judith and William were visiting the celebrant to ensure everything was ready for Saturday evening and he could not bear the idea of sitting around making small talk with his mother. "Barbara and I might head into the village. We skipped lunch so we could catch that train. I'm a bit peckish."

Daze was pleased; getting them to spend as much time together as possible was part of her plan. She had suspected a late dinner and the threat of spending time alone with her might force them to go exploring. "Enjoy yourselves and don't do anything I wouldn't do!" she said as she opened the sliding door and went onto the balcony.

"That leaves a lot of scope then," Tommy muttered under his breath.

"She was just being nice Sir."

"She's up to something," he retorted, "I just don't know what. She's probably booked a young Swiss ski instructor for the afternoon to polish her pole technique."

"Tommy!" Barbara was shocked by his disrespectful outburst about his mother. She had never heard him be so vulgar but now they were both staring at each other as they realised she had finally called him by his name. Barbara blushed and bit her lip.

_Is that what I have to do?_ Tommy was bemused that the second cipher key was to shock her. Even in chastisement his name sounded divine on her lips. He contemplated kissing her right now to see if he could shock her into saying it again. The way she was biting her lip and trying to avoid his eyes made his reason dissolve and his desire rage. He took one step towards her before his eye was drawn to his mother peering at them through the window. All thought of disclosing how he felt vaporised. "I'm sorry but I still have issues with her it seems." He turned and started down the stairs.

Barbara followed cursing herself for reacting that way. She had known he and his mother had a troubled relationship and she had a broad idea about the past but she had thought they were closer now. Tommy expected certain standards of behaviour and took it hard if things did not follow his world view but this was a level of bitterness that she had not seen in him before. She never wanted him to think so badly of her. She resolved to try harder not to show anything that would make him think she thought of him other than as they were now, friends. She would try to stop imagining his eyes said anything but friendship. She would try to stop imagining his eyes...

The narrow streets of the town did not let much natural afternoon light fall on the roads and yet surprisingly it did not seem shadowy to Barbara. As they walked down the main street she marvelled at the dual nature of the buildings. At street level there was the glass and whitewashed walls of the lively shops. Above these the brown timbered apartment and hotels captured the essence of a long forgotten rural age. The shop windows discreetly presented their wares and there were no garish signs or hazardous racks of cheap goods to navigate around. It reminded her of London of an earlier age before cheap, imported plastic trinkets and pop up shops had come to dominate the shopping strips.

"This place feels, I dunno, unique," she remarked.

"No cars I think," Tommy replied, "it feels less hurried."

"I like it." He had visibly relaxed in the few minutes it had taken them to stroll into the village and that made Barbara more at ease. She was pleased he had not said anything about calling him by name but she would be more careful.

They stopped to look in some of the shop windows. One souvenir shop had all the usual junky curios including bright and funny fridge magnets that appealed to Havers' humour. She bought one that had a cheeky dancing cow wearing lederhosen. Tommy was amused by her choice but he would never know that there was something about the cow's expression that reminded her of him. The smell from the chocolatiers made her mouth water and Tommy took pity on her and bought her a sample.

"You can eat them while you enjoy your bath tonight," he said as he handed her the bag. He had never had an ambition to be a chocolate until that moment. He shook his head at the thought.

Every second shop seemed to sell chocolates or watches. Barbara was intrigued by the number of cuckoo clocks in one store and jumped when it struck noon and all the clocks started to chime and crow. Tommy laughed so hard that it became infectious. They had to race from the shop and stand outside with hands on their knees to recover their breath. Tommy wanted to hug her and spin her around. He had known he loved her but being with her now, away from London, he knew he fallen utterly and hopelessly in love with her.

They continued down the street and Barbara admired a silver watch that was far too fancy for her wrist. She did the conversion to sterling in her head and whistled. "Do people really pay over two thousand pounds for a watch?"

Tommy looked at her. "Yes but if it's in the window it's one of the cheaper ones. It's a very good brand."

"It'd want to be. I'd be scared to wear it."

They continued along the street until Barbara's stomach growled loudly. "Sorry," she said with obvious embarrassment.

"There used to be a place down here that had excellent schnitzels," Tommy informed her, "with chips."

"Sounds good."

The entrance was through a narrow timber archway and up a flight of stone steps. Barbara feared it would be a dark and dismal place but was surprised to find a lively pub lined with polished pine boards decorated with bright photos of local scenes. The place was crowded with festival visitors but they were shown to a quiet table near the window. Ever the gentleman Tommy pulled back the chair facing the window so Barbara could enjoy the view. She admired the way that the pub had placed smaller tables for single diners looking out at the view of the mountains. She knew from experience most restaurants made solo diners feel like lonely losers but here there was understanding and respect. She liked Switzerland.

"We used to eat here when I came skiing in my younger years. It seems such a long time ago now," Tommy said wistfully.

"Time goes too fast. We've been partners for almost a decade and no one thought we'd make it through ten days."

Tommy caught her eye. "Neither did I at first but it's been the most important partnership of my life." Barbara was looking at him but he could not sense if she understood his real meaning. For emphasis he reached out and quickly squeezed her hand. As if on cue Barbara's stomach growled loudly and another intimate moment was lost. Tommy smiled ruefully, "I think we had better feed you."

Barbara thanked her stomach. She had to avoid his eyes at all costs or she knew her own would betray her. They were good friends, partners; she could not endanger that with some adolescent infatuation, not after ten years together, no matter how much she wanted it.

They ordered then Tommy asked for a jug of a beer she had never heard of, assuring Barbara she would like it. It went well with the food and Barbara made Tommy laugh when she kept praising the crunchiness of the chips while they chatted about the house, the wedding and William. It was safe ground and they both fell into their regular patterns of banter and conversation.

"Tommi! Barb-ara!" They turned to see the three men from the train coming towards them.

"Great," Tommy groaned but Barbara smiled at them.

"Matthias, Jens, Dirk, good see you again."

Barbara's enthusiasm rankled Tommy but he stood and politely shook their hands. The men invited them over to their table where the men had met up with some other alpenhorners. The group was lively and talked about folk music and places they had travelled. Barbara was clearly intrigued and was far too friendly with them for Tommy's taste. _He_ had invited her here,_ he_ was her friend and it was _him_ he wanted her to fall in love with, not some yodeling horn player!

His sullenness was not lost on Barbara. She moved so she was sitting next to him and made extra effort to include him until his mood improved dramatically. She wondered why he felt so insecure. No one would ever replace him in her affections but she guessed he had no way of knowing that. She had an urge to stroke his head or hug him so that he knew. Instead she just looked at him, smiled and tried not to blush.

"You haf plans for tomorrow?" Matthias asked.

"I thought we might go up to Klein Matterhorn to show Barbara the ice cave," Tommy replied.

"Ja good but if you then come to Gornergrat on the train ve are playing at four. Over one hundred horns. It is quite a sight."

Barbara looked at Tommy and he could tell she was keen. "That sounds good. We will catch the afternoon train." He tried to sound eager but he could see she had seen straight through him. He was rewarded with a smile from Barbara but his mood darkened as he wondered if it was the mountain or the men she was more interested in. The afternoon was not going as he had planned. He ordered more beer and proceeded to drink far too much, too fast.

Barbara was watching him. She had enjoyed the afternoon but now Tommy was starting to become a little belligerent. It was time to go. "Will you walk me back by the river?"

Tommy was surprised. He looked at his watch. They could stay another half hour and still make dinner. He was buoyed by the idea that she wanted to spend time alone with him. "Of course."

The narrow river was more of a canal with rock lined walls. The grey water sped through at exhilarating rates. They sauntered silently along the path and stopped at the bridge that led across to the other side of the village. The sun had begun to disappear behind the mountains leaving a warm, buttery dusk. "I understand why you like Zermatt," she said as she rested her arms on the metal railing and studied the water.

Tommy tried to clear his head as he stood beside her. He had drunk just a little too much and he was afraid he would mess this up. "It is special. That's why I wanted to show you." She turned her head to look at him and neither tried to avoid the other's eyes. It was an intense moment where conversations were taking place without words. Now was his moment and while he regretted not being completely sober he was also aware it had given him Dutch courage. Tommy lent closer to her. He was finally going to kiss her and it was just as he wanted, love and not lust. "It's special and so are..."

"There you two are."

Tommy spun around to see William walking across the bridge. Never in his life had he wanted to throw a man from a bridge as much as he did now. "William," he said tightly.

William started chatting and the trio started to walk back to their chalet. Another moment lost and Tommy was starting to believe he would never get to tell Barbara how he felt. At least she had seemed to respond to his overture. Her eyes had told him she wanted him but that she was scared and unsure if this was what they should do. He was more sure. In fact he had never been more sure of anything in his life.

Barbara had seen the desire in his eyes. It had thrilled her much more than she had dreamed but she could not be sure it was not just the romance of the mountains. _Would he want me if we were in London? If he had, why wait? _They had been together alone often enough away from work. She sighed, he was a passionate man with a weakness for women and his desires had been a product of the moment. Still, she could dream.

Dinner was far more simple than Barbara had expected and she was soon able to relax and not feel an outsider. William was an interesting man having spent many years travelling the world in the Royal Navy. His tales about exotic ports filled the conversation. They sat around after the meal before Judith excused herself. William followed five minutes later. "Subtle they are not," Daze said grinning.

Barbara was not sure how to react. If she excused herself and then Tommy went quickly to avoid being with his mother, Daze might think the same of them. She blushed and looked questioningly at Tommy.

He understood her dilemma. He would not want his mother thinking that either, at least until it were true. "Barbara, would you like me to light your fire?"

_Oh God! You already have!_ She knew she was blushing but in the soft light she doubted anyone would notice. "Yes, that would be nice. That tub is too tempting."

_Yes, far too tempting!_ "Excuse us Mother. I'll be back shortly and we can discuss repairing the west windows."

He walked as close as he dared as they went up the stairs. He was quite sober now and aware that now was not the time irrespective of how much he wanted it to be. There was always tomorrow on Gornergrat. A mountaintop seemed a fitting place for a first kiss. Tommy ran her bath and then lit the methanol fire. "It will be safe to run all night if you like but you can turn it off here."

As Tommy walked to the door Barbara understood that he had no intention of pursuing his earlier goal. Perhaps she had just imagined it after all. "Thank you Sir."

"What happened to Your Lordship?" he asked.

Barbara laughed. "It's hard to call someone filling your bath Your Lordship."

"Or Tommy?"

"Sorry, that was unintended."

He smiled and her legs went weak. He bent down and kissed her softly on the cheek. "Enjoy your bath. Sweet dreams," he whispered before he slipped out the door and pulled it closed.

"Good night Tommy," she said softly to the door when she thought he had left.

"Goodnight Barbara."


	5. Chapter 5

After a long, steamy bath Barbara stood at the window defiantly naked. If anyone in the valley had binoculars sufficiently strong to identify her silhouette in front of the diffuse glow of the fire, good luck to them. Being transported from London and her humdrum existence in her small untidy flat to here made her feel special and detached from reality. For once she was Her Ladyship and for a few minutes was free to stand before the mountain and enjoy the raw power and sensuality of hiding nothing.

The warm brush of his lips on her cheek had awoken long suppressed emotional and physical desires. The weight of longing grew heavier and heavier and she placed her hands low where it burned. He had been about to kiss her on the bridge. He had waited behind the door. It excited her. She longed to feel his hard body pressed against hers. She ran her hands over her scar then up to cup her breasts. Age and gravity were just beginning to show and she regretted that Tommy, if at all, would not see her in her unblemished prime.

Her thoughts threatened to drive her mad. She sighed and dressed quickly in her decidedly unsexy pyjamas, now aware that she was being somewhat foolish. She grabbed her chocolates and spontaneously kissed the bag. It was a vague way of connecting to Tommy. Disgusted with her sentimentality she hopped into bed and flicked on the television. Nothing broadcast in English appealed so she turned it off and munched loudly on her chocolates. She was tired, perhaps too tired, and yet despite the smoothness of the sheets and the softness of the bed, she could not sleep.

Barbara found a white fluffy bathrobe in the wardrobe and wrapped it protectively around her. She crept courteously down to the living area and out onto the balcony. She leant on the balcony rail and to distract her from thoughts of Tommy tried to identify where she had been from just the lights and shadows.

"Couldn't sleep?" a deep voice asked.

Barbara jumped at the sound. "You scared me," she said spinning around to face him.

"Sorry." he said as he stepped from the shadows. "I didn't like being sent back to my room like a naughty schoolboy so I came out here."

Barbara laughed. "Why the separate rooms William?"

"We have to be seen to do the right thing dear," he said in a very good imitation of Dorothy. "She means well but it's not as if either of us are virgins. It's always about the family's good name not being sullied and yet between them they have all done a pretty fair job of trying to destroy it."

Barbara nodded in agreement. "How do you find the family?"

"Dysfunctional and old-fashioned but I wouldn't have it any other way."

She was surprised by his candour but it was refreshing. She had never been able to talk to anyone about the politics and issues of the Asherton dynasty. "Where did you meet?"

"In an airline lounge of all places. I went to get a beer and when I got back she had thrown out the paper that I left to mark my spot and was sitting in my chair."

"That sounds like a Lynley," Barbara said.

"When I challenged her Judith came over to see what was happening. I think she knows that her mother can seem prickly to people. I saw her and forgot all about the seat and my flight. It was only when they kept paging 'the last passenger Mr Darby' that I stopped staring. She captivated me straight away. I gave her my number and we met up again soon after. One thing led to another and by morning we were lovers."

"Oh." Barbara was shocked. Darby was a very frank man.

William laughed. "Tommy had the same reaction when I told him." At the mention of Tommy Barbara unconsciously looked around. "He's a bit protective of his big sister but he knows I'll look after her."

Barbara smiled at him. "They're close I think."

"Yes. She never believed he was guilty all those years ago."

"Of what?" she asked curiously.

"Killing her first husband. He was arrested for his murder it but his friend Simon cleared him."

Barbara gasped. "I never knew."

"You two don't talk much about things do you?" William knew Judith was very self-contained too. It had taken her a while to tell him her deepest fears and secrets. It seemed every Lynley was the same.

"No but I don't expect to."

"Why not?"

Barbara was irritated that he kept challenging her. "It's not my place."

"Are you sure? He'd be more relaxed and much happier if he had someone to confide in."

The statement hurt Barbara. She wanted to be there for Tommy. If he wanted to he could tell her anything. That he had chosen not to meant that he was not comfortable. She knew he held back and it stung. She wanted him to tell her everything but he was not able to and that, in a nutshell, was why they could never have a real relationship. She tried to rationalise it for William as she sniffed back the tear that was welling. "We're colleagues, friends of sorts but nothing more."

"Why not?"

"Stop asking me that," she snapped.

"You can't answer because there's no logical reason. You two are setting world records for sexual tension and neither of you are brave enough to do anything about it."

She was so mortified she could not speak. "I..I, I...I don't think I do."

"You both do," William said bluntly.

"I don't fit in the family. I'm not their stock," she said in a separate attempt to justify their present relationship.

"If you love him as much as I think that won't matter to him and it shouldn't matter to you. I'm not well bred either by the pedigree charts. I grew up in Yorkshire and ran away to the Navy at sixteen to avoid my drunken father, so not quite in the Lynley league but I can give Judith the love and respect and passion that she needs. Tommy's the same I suspect. He needs whatever it is you give him but the two of you are missing out on the best bit and that will only bring you closer if you just get over yourselves and follow your hearts. I'm not saying jump into bed with him tonight but at least be open to it being part of your future. Don't shut him out Barbara. You need each other and you both deserve to be happy."

"That's what he said about Judith."

"He was right. She is and you can be too. Good night," Darby said as he opened the door to go in, "think about what I said. Give him a sign to let him know you love him and let him take it from there. You won't regret it."

Barbara was shaking. William had obviously seen through her and she was concerned it was as obvious to others. Her first instinct was to run and hide but it was hardly practical especially when the first person she thought of running to was Tommy. She went back to bed and lay worrying until just before dawn when at last sleep came.

Tommy had slept unusually well. She had called him Tommy through the door. It was not much really but to him it was everything. When Barbara ventured downstairs for breakfast a little after nine Tommy and William had taken on the roles of short order cooks and were happily frying up eggs, bacon and sausages on demand. He saw her and smiled; a broad and engaging smile that lit up the room.

She smiled back shyly and sat down quickly before her legs gave way under her. Her instinct was to go up to him, whisper his name and pull him into a long and satisfying kiss. She needed to sit. William looked over and winked then nodded reassuringly but it only made her feel worse. Daze began to talk about the weather and her day with Judith. She was invited to spend it with them doing, as his mother put it, all the girly pre-wedding things. Barbara was sure her horror must be visible to everyone.

Tommy saved her. "Barbara and I have plans for today Mother. Besides you and Judith need some bonding time."

Dorothy smiled genuinely, glad that her idea had worked. She knew Barbara would have no interest and that Tommy would rescue her. If they did not have plans before they would now make some. "Of course Tommy. Will you be home for dinner? Eight tonight I think."

Tommy nodded and took Barbara's order. "Full English please Your Lordship," she said grinning at him mischievously.

An hour later they were in the front carriage of the boxy red train up to Gornergrat. To Barbara's surprise Tommy was lathering on a thick coating of sunscreen which left him with a pale white sheen. He insisted she put it on too. The train slowly climbed through the forest giving Barbara glimpses of the village between the dense pines. She handed him back his tube of cream but he leant over and ran his hand down her face. She shivered. "You...you had a streak," he said awkwardly.

They watched in silence as the train ascended. Forest gave way to open meadows. Mountains surrounded them and from here the many distinct peaks were clearly identifiable. Barbara was struck by the sweep if the glacier with its craggy surface not detracting from its fluidity. "It's..."

"Beautiful?" he asked.

"No, today's word is magnificent," she replied cheekily.

The sun and breeze on the grass made it seem alive. Golds and greens fluttered and danced down the valley. The sky was much bluer than Barbara had ever seen at home and everything was sharp and clear. "It's like it's on your television," she said.

"My television?"

Yes, ultra high definition, not something us peasants can afford."

Only Barbara could turn a wonderfully sunny day in a spectacularly beautiful part of the world into class warfare! "I refuse to bite," Tommy said sternly, "this is not about my money."

Barbara had not meant it that way but rather as a joke. She was genuinely contrite that she had offended him but there was an easy way to make it up to him. "I'm sorry Tommy."

"Accepted but..." He stopped mid-sentence and stared at her. He was tempted to kiss her right there and then but it was not private nor romantic. "Look there is the Matterhorn in all her glory."

As the track became steeper the cogs cut in and the train jerked slightly as it pulled itself up the hill. The meadows gave way to grey, stony terrain where the winter snow usually sat. Barbara remained transfixed by the view until the train finally pulled in to the cute little crenelated station built from heavy glacial rock that reminded Barbara of a troll's house. They stepped out behind the building onto a broad even area that looked out over the valley. It was the traditional Matterhorn view and it took her breath away.

Tommy never tired of such a view but seeing it again for the first time through her eyes showed him things he had never noticed. "Magnificent?"

"Magnificent," she agreed.

Barbara was intrigued by the way the mountains formed the spikes and plates of a crouching stegosaurus and how the glacier looked like a white scarf wrapped around its shoulders. Tommy smiled at the image as Barbara carefully pointed out each peak and dip in her vision. "Remind me not to take you cloud-watching," he joked, "you see far more interesting things than me."

They strolled down towards the wall where there was a large platform. A tripod was set up and Barbara looked at Tommy questioningly. "They bring out a St. Bernard and you can have your photo taken with him with the Matterhorn in the distance. Very touristy."

Barbara did not take the hint from his tone and as if on cue the photographer brought out two huge dogs. Tommy took one look at her face and knew his fate. He grimaced slightly handing over the money but the pure delight on her face was infectious. As they reviewed the photos on the screen Tommy saw instantly the one he would choose. He was kneeling up cuddling a dog which was looking very seriously at the camera and Barbara was sitting with her arms wrapped gleefully around the neck of the bigger dog. She looked small beside the animal but the camera had been mesmerised by her eyes. The thing that struck him though was the way she was looking adoringly at him across the dogs. His heart melted and his loins stirred.

He looked around for a quieter spot but a hoard of Chinese tourists had just disembarked from the train and were rushing for a vantage point along the wall. He ground his teeth together in frustration. "Let's get some lunch."

The restaurant was full so Tommy bought sandwiches and they sat outside in the sun. "I'm glad you made me wear sunscreen or I'd look like a lobster tomorrow."

"We can't have that for the wedding photos."

"Oh I won't be in them. That's for family," she said dismissively.

"Exactly why you will be in them."

Barbara blushed and smiled. She knew better than to argue and she was touched by his sentiment. This morning had been easy and natural and she had almost forgotten how much she desired him. She thought back to last night; their conversation, his whispered goodnight and her moment of freedom standing at the window. She had fallen even more deeply in love with him but had no real idea how to show him.

They finished lunch and wandered around to the terrace behind the observatory dome where the alpenhorners were starting to gather. Barbara was pleased to see that scattered amongst the brightly coloured, embroidered shirts and pork pie hats were a number of women with their shiny black shoes and white stockings underneath chequered skirts and full, white lacy aprons. Most of the women wore white blouses with puffy sleeves with Swiss-red scarves knotted discreetly over their breasts. Barbara admired the way the black velvet vests accentuated their figures by being laced tighter at the waist and allowing more movement above. She looked hard to find Matthias and his friends. Look for the red shirts they had said. Most the men were wearing black trousers but there were groups with different coloured shirts. Royal blue and red predominated which was not going to help her.

It would be wrong to say Tommy had not noticed the women but he was far more interested in the horns which evoked images of a giant's smoking pipe. Gradually the number was building as players found their spots in one of three lines that curved around the clearing. In the centre was an enormous horn, easily three times the length of the others. The players were warming them up in a weird cacophony that reminded Tommy of the whales that passed the Cornish coast.

A low solitary note from the large horn pierced the air and the restless crowd, which had grown considerably in the last few minutes, grew quiet. The horns began to play and the sound echoed out into the surrounding hills. It was reflective music with an almost a military feel. Barbara was surprised that the horns could play such a variety of notes. The sombre, formal sounds harked back to the large organ in the church where her parents had taken her each Christmas.

The horns played constantly for over half an hour. Each tune was evocative and elegant and even the light-hearted tunes had a majesty befitting the mountains. Tommy put his arm around her shoulder and hugged her gently to him. William's advice echoed in her ear. Barbara wanted to reach out in some way but felt impotent not knowing how to show him she loved him. She just stood beside him until, at the end of the music, he dropped his arm.

On the flat section near the centre, boards had been set up to create a dance floor. Accordion music start to drift up from a band on the other side of clearing and sixteen couples started to walk onto the stage. The men were all in brown suits with black collars and brown hats with a grey hatband. Their white shirts were set of with gaily coloured, thin ties. The combination offended Tommy's sense of style. "My father used to say 'never trust a man in a brown suit'," he told Barbara who looked at him and frowned.

"Why not?"

"I never found out," he replied.

The women were all in long blue dresses with red aprons trimmed with the same pattern as the men's ties. Around their necks they wore red and white checked scarves. "Did he say anything about flattened pork pie hats?" she asked referring to the hats the women wore.

Tommy smiled but his answer was cut short but the full band. A lilting, happy but repetitive tune began and the couples took their positions. They formed two rows of couples each holding hands above their shoulders. They all moved forward in unison then backwards and started to turn towards each other. Shuffle, shuffle, hop! Shuffle, shuffle, hop! Spin, hands on hips, kick up the heels and shuffle into two circles. Skip to the left, left again now back to the right, spin and hop. Shuffle, shuffle, hop! Clap, spin, heel kick, hop. The men and women were smiling happily and the crowd clapped out the beat; one, two, three, one, two, three. The dancers moved rhythmically into a line of men in front of the women then they parted and the women shuffle, shuffle, hopped their way in front of the men. The lines merged and magically parted into two circles moving in opposite directions.

"It reminds me of those docos you see where schools of fish all move together and swirl around."

Tommy had to lean close to her to hear. He smiled at the analogy. "I'm not sure folk dancers see themselves as fish." The dancers now seemed to be running on the spot and kicking up their heels. Kick, run, stop, turn, stamp the foot, turn and all merge together before splitting into their single sex lines again. "Although I can see what you mean."

"Don't be so logical. Enjoy the moment Tommy." She had used his name deliberately but she was surprised to see his face redden.

"The Swiss invented the chicken dance," he said as a way of proving he had a sense if fun, "originally it was the duck dance from when they herded ducks and geese in the..."

Barbara silenced him with a kiss.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note:** Okay, yes I admit it - I am having fun now. Due to a special request I am loading this one early. I hope it does not disrupt those advent calendars.

* * *

><p>The contact was unexpected and brief but exhilarating. She stepped back, her face red and her eyes averted. Tommy reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. Despite the public place and throngs of milling people he could wait no longer. He was finally going to kiss her properly. His head was moving slowly towards her when he felt a thump on his back.<p>

"There you are!"

If Tommy had wanted to throw William off the bridge he now wanted to throw Matthias off the mountain! It was not helped by Barbara who started to laugh uproariously.

Matthias frowned at them. "Sorry, something happen ja?"

"No, something did not happen! That's the problem!"

Barbara felt sorry for poor Matthias who was not used to Tommy's moods. She was thrilled though that Tommy had planned to kiss her and the joy reverberated through her. "It's fine Matthias. We enjoyed the horn playing. I was amazed by the sounds."

Tommy composed himself and joined in the conversation. Matthias' friends came over and they all ended up with steins of beer in hand, singing. To be more accurate Barbara and the Swiss were singing. Tommy was drinking; watching Barbara with a heady mix of lust, love, jealousy and awe. He was jealous of the way she was open and friendly with the men and in awe of her singing. He eyed her body lustfully and when she caught his eye, as she did every minute or so, he was overwhelmed by how much he loved her. He thought about just going over and kissing her passionately in front of everyone but every time he stood his sense of decorum took over and he sat again.

Barbara frowned at him repeatedly standing then sitting. She leant over and asked playfully, "fleas?"

"No, I do not have fleas!" Tommy swore and walked off in the vague direction of the bathroom. When he returned he suggested leaving and to his annoyance the men decided to tag along. They all caught the same train down the mountain and even walked with them to the base of the street near the chalet. They bid farewell and Tommy stormed up the hill hoping he never saw another horn played again.

Barbara tried to mollify him but was in no mood to kiss him until he learned some manners. By the time they reached the chalet they were not talking to each other. Tommy greeted his mother and went for a shower. Barbara went to her room and lay on the bed wondering why she loved such an impossibly unreasonable man. She had seen his jealous side when Helen had been with Rhys and had yearned to have someone feel that way about her. Now she was the object of his jealousy she was less impressed and understood why Helen had been so furious.

Dinner was filled with talk of the wedding and Tommy's mood was civil. He tried to get her alone a few times but she avoided him. Her kiss should have hinted that she wanted to be closer to him but she was not going to put up with bad manners and his feudal sense of ownership of people. She felt unsuited and unequal to him as it was without him behaving as if she was his chattel to pick up and play with when he fancied. She excused herself as soon as she could and went to bed. Tonight she was not dreaming of him, she was trying to forget him. Sleep came surprisingly quickly.

Lynley paced around his room. He was angry with her for having flirted with Matthias and he was even angrier with himself for having reacted like a tortured adolescent. At the time Helen's insult had offended him but he knew it summed him up perfectly. He tried to rest but all he could think about was the feel of her lips against his own. He crept from his room and knocked softly on her door. He had not thought it through beyond his intention to apologise and sweep her into his arms and kiss her like he had never kissed anyone before but after the third unanswered knock he dejectedly returned to his room, dived onto his bed and screamed into his pillow.

They were both up earlier than the others and Barbara found him on the balcony. The effects of missing each other had overcome any residual grievances and they smiled warmly at each other. "I'm sorry," he said, "I was jealous of Matthias and angry with you for indulging him when I wanted to be alone either you."

Barbara was pleased she had brushed her teeth. She walked across the balcony towards him. The sky was filled with golden clouds reflecting the rising sun. It was a beautiful backdrop for their long-awaiting kiss. Tommy reached out and hugged her and she wrapped her arms around him.

"Hungry?" he asked, "I'll cook us some breakfast." He had already decided where he wanted to kiss her and it was not on this balcony. If he kissed her now they would never make his sister's wedding that afternoon. Barbara just groaned and followed him inside.

Tommy insisted on visiting Klein Matterhorn before the ceremony. On the cable car Barbara was a little warm in her coat but Tommy had insisted she wear it and a jumper. She had a pair of gloves and a lightweight beanie in her pockets. Tommy had bought them on the way through town assuring her that it was cooler on the mountain and that she would definitely need them. They were the only occupants in the four man bubble and this allowed Barbara to spin around to watch the mountains looming and the view of the lush green valley. Barbara was amused to hear the bells of the cattle below them clatter tunefully as they grazed. They changed cars at a staging point and the second trip became much steeper as the valley and Zermatt disappeared below them.

At the cable station they quickly hopped from the moving car and wound around through the metal guide rails to the departure point of the large cable car. The big red box rocked gently on its cable. Twenty or more people could sit and another twenty stand. Tommy guided Barbara to the rear window. He stood behind her almost pressing her to the glass.

Barbara looked down the valley. "Go on then," she said.

"Sorry?" he said as he lent closer to her.

"You're dying to enhance my experience. I'm interested." It was a deliberately ambiguous invitation. He was standing so close that she could feel his breath on her neck.

"No, not really. I think today it is best for you to tell me what you think." The innuendo had not escaped Tommy but he believed it was unintended. Barbara would never invite him to kiss her the way they needed to kiss in public. He wanted to, desperately, but he believed she would be horrified if he tried.

The cable car started it lumbering ascent. Barbara watched silently as the mountains that had seemed so dominant from town became insignificant amongst their neighbours. The white tipped peaks contrasted with the blue of the sky and the verdant valley. As they skimmed over a glacial lake Barbara said, "it's breathtaking Tommy!"

He moved closer and placed his hands lightly on her shoulders. She pressed back into him slightly. Not enough to seem out of place but enough to signal that she wanted to continue where yesterday had been thwarted. "I would never get tired of this," he said not thinking about the scenery.

"Me either."

They stood watching the mountains rise and the valley fall until the cable car came to a stop. "Bloody hell," she said as the door opened.

"I warned you," he said without sympathy.

The temperature was several degrees cooler and Barbara shivered. She retrieved her beanie and pulled it on to her head not caring if it flattered her. Tommy admired that lack of pretention but with a legitimate excuse he reached over and straightened it as he tucked some hair under it. He enjoyed the feel of her velvety skin beneath his fingers and noticed she had closed her eyes. Her stroked her cheek gently and then lent down and kissed the other cheek.

Barbara blushed, expecting him to now kiss her but the announcement that the cable car was about to depart back down the mountain spurred them into action. "Come on," he said as they squeezed past the closing door. "That was close!"

"Hmm!" _Not close enough!_

He led her along the long tunnel through the mountain still laughing about almost having to pay for the cable car twice. Barbara smiled grimly thinking it would have been worth it and well within his budget. As they emerged and stood at the viewing platform he said, "you know from here you can ski into Italy."

"Well you might but I can't," she said forgetting their near miss, "I've never seen this much snow before." This gave Tommy an idea.

Barbara walked over to admire the large wooden crucifix which in four languages bore the message to be more human. Jesus was clearly suffering and seemed disproportionately small and incongruous to her. She gazed out on the grey peaks marbled with veins of white and adorned with puffy halos of cloud against the azure backdrop. The mountain peaks seemed be become more triangular in places where they enslaved brilliant fields of shiny snow and tiny specks of red and blue moved across them. Skiers! The cross stood out against this scene as a poignant reminder of how insignificant man is in relation to nature.

Tommy was watching her carefully. The view was too large and awe-inspiring for it to be a suitable place for Tommy to declare his feelings. He needed somewhere quieter and more intimate. It would have to wait foe the spot he had planed; now was the time to just learn to relax together as Tommy and Barbara not as Lynley and Havers. He led her down to a gently sloping basin where men and women where sliding down a curvy, snow-covered track on red and yellow bags of air.

"Voila!"

Barbara looked at him as if he had taken leave of his senses. "Oh no. I'm not sitting on an overgrown tyre and heading off to Italy!"

"The track doesn't go to Italy. You'll have fun. Trust me."

His wicked grin was hard to refuse but Barbara was not sure. She was not worried about hurting herself but about embarrassing herself. He had extended his hand and was looking at her reproachfully. Feeling she had little choice she acquiesced. "Don't blame me if I kill us both!"

"Then I'll die a happy man. Come on."

Tommy plonked down onto his tyre like a schoolboy would while Barbara tried to sit delicately. The man released the bar and they started to slide. Tommy raced ahead riding the turns like he often drove - far too fast. He called out to egg her on and her competitive streak snapped in. She sped up but could not catch him. He was waiting at the bottom, hand on hip. "Really Havers I thought you'd be faster."

The next three times it was a real race and she almost caught him. On the fourth go she tried to overtake on a corner and collided with his airbag. That pushed them both off track in a flurry of arms and legs and they came up laughing. Tommy helped her to her feet, gave her a quick kiss then jumped on his airbag and was off leaving her standing staring after him. For their final run Tommy swapped the two bags for a bigger one. Side by side they hurtled down the track. At the first corner she ended up in his arms where she stayed contentedly for the rest of the run.

Barbara expected him to kiss her at the bottom but again he made no attempt. "Come on I'll show you the ice cave," he said and she sighed wondering what was going on in his head.

Tommy was deliberately holding back. When he finally kissed he wanted her to respond favourably and not be scared. He worried that Miss Enigma was still not completely decipherable. Resolving the fear he still saw in her eye was the third key and what better way than build up anticipation to the point where she wanted him far more than any thought of what it meant might act to stop her.

Barbara wondered what was so special about the cave. The entrance sign informed her that it was cut into a glacier. _Whoopee!_ They entered sloping tunnel and she shivered at the cold. "It's freezing!"

"Right Detective. I bring you to an ice cave and you are only just realising that it is freezing in here?"

"Yeah, I guess," she said sheepishly. Tommy was seized by the same urge he had had yesterday to pick her up and spin her around. Instead he laughed until she whacked him on the arm.

Despite the ribbed blue matting she lost her footing in the dirty, watery slush that lay over the floor. Tommy caught her and pulled back to her feet. They were alone under the ice, he had her in his arms and she was looking at him intensely. It was hardly the romantic place he had imagined so often lately and her eyes still had doubt, although much, much less. He let her go and they continued down the tunnel, dimly illuminated by blue lights that ran on a single cable along the side of the shaft. She slid around struggling to get her footing so Tommy took her hand. Their gloves ordinarily may have rendered the connection impersonal but Tommy could feel the electricity between them. He glanced at her quickly and noticed her face had reddened. His heart started to race. This was not merely a gesture of safety to either of them.

Tommy knew then that he could have pulled her to him and kissed her passionately but he preferred to just hold her hand and feel joined to her soul. There was time for passion later. He smiled at Barbara and they continued down the tunnel.

For the third time this morning Barbara had thought Tommy had an ideal opportunity to express any deeper feelings he might harbour. She began to doubt William. Yesterday may have just been an aberration of the moment. Tommy it seemed had either changed his mind or had only ever wanted to be a good friend. There was no romantic intent or he would have kissed her on the balcony or the cable car or the viewing platform or if nowhere else when they were alone in here. She sighed, sorry that she had been mistaken and even sorrier that after her chat with William she had surrendered to her feelings completely. She had lain awake daydreaming of what it would feel like to be in his arms, to feel his lips running over her body, to feel...She had even kissed him! She kicked the floor in disgust.

Tommy felt her jerk when she kicked the floor. It was an odd thing to do and it had pulled him from his reverie of planning exactly how he would finally kiss her. Probably for the best considering where his mind was heading. He squeezed her hand and smiled but was surprised by her expression. Was it anger? No, possibly frustration? She wants me to kiss her! He smiled to himself knowing that she would not resist.

The first of the displays came into view and the cave exploded in a kaleidoscope of colour. The dull blue gave way to alcoves of reds and greens. Tommy started to explain how it was carved.

Barbara fidgeted beside him but as they walked through she soon became captivated by the intricate carvings and coloured lights that highlighted the mystery of the ice. There were natural caverns in the glacier which were supported by veils and columns that were formed by the same dripping action that created wondrous limestone caves. To Barbara the natural beauty, enhanced by the lights, was more magical that the carvings. The floor was level and less slippery. She spotted a carving and tried to rush on but Tommy had her hand firmly clamped in his palm. He was not letting go. She looked at his face and realised that was exactly his message.

They stood watching each other until he pulled her gently into a small alcove where they squeezed past an ice column into a cathedral-like space. As they looked up towards the sky shining from outside the glacier she gasped in awe at the majesty of the scene.

Tommy moved behind her and letting go of her hand wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest. He lay his chin gently on her head before he began to kiss the back of her neck giving her the option to say no. He felt her body tense then yield to him. Slowly he kissed his way around her neck and up her throat as he slowly turned her to face him. He stopped and looked at her. Her eyes held no fear or doubt.

"Yowza!" said an American voice from the entrance behind them. Tommy and Barbara were still locked in their embrace but turned to look at a tall, bespectacled woman who reminded Tommy of his school librarian. She was joined by two others who squeezed into the now crowded alcove.

"Strewth!" said her shorter, blonde companion in an unmistakable Australian accent before she began to photograph the icy cathedral. Noticing the couple she grinned and nodded at Tommy, "sorry mate."

The third woman, far more exotic in looks and less conservative in dress, eyed Tommy up and down. She licked her lips then smiled at him. "Eine gluckliche frau!"

"What is this?" Barbara said in frustration, "a bloody United Nations conspiracy?"


	7. Chapter 7

Tommy laughed softy into her hair; another moment had been lost. He felt Barbara grip his jacket tightly as they waited for the women to leave. Oblivious to the importance of the impending kiss to Tommy and Barbara they hung around taking their photos and admiring the architecture and peacefulness of the space. He glanced anxiously at his watch. "We better go or we'll be late for the wedding."

He took her hand and they moved quickly through the last few twists and turns of the ice cave. Barbara was not impressed and muttered under her breath all the way back to the cable car. This time it was Tommy who could see the funny side of the interruption. He stopped and kissed her quickly. "It's okay," he said to reassure her, "we now have something to look forward to tonight."

"I prefer to live in the present," she replied as she entered the cable car. Their position near the window was taken so they stood near the rear and watched the mountain recede. Tommy was equally frustrated but he also knew that the electricity between them could have powered all of Zermatt. If he kissed her now they would spend the rest of the day in her room and miss the wedding. His mother would never forgive him.

Barbara was determined that they would spend the several minutes it took to go down the mountain in the gondola cars focused only on each other. She was furious when the crowds meant they had to share with a chatty Japanese couple. She sat stony-faced the entire trip while Tommy patiently named mountains and lakes for them. The only comfort was that he had not yet let go of her hand.

They were a little later than planned. His mother handed Tommy a box that had been delivered for him then bustled them off for showers and to get changed. Fifteen minutes later Tommy was standing beside a fumbling William helping him adjust his bow tie and straightening the lapels of his tuxedo. Barbara nervously emerged in a conservative dark green, short sleeved, cocktail dress with simple lines and a much tighter skirt than she had remembered. She had bought it last week after ringing Judith to find out what dress code was suitable. Tommy was paying all the other expenses so she thought it was only right to dress appropriately rather than her usual chain store trousers. She wanted to blend in but looking at his face she knew she was drawing too much attention.

Tommy saw her and thought his heart had exploded in his chest. He struggled to breathe and his legs were wobbly. Barbara looked stunning. He had no idea she had such a trim and sexy figure and that way she nervously bit her lip excited him in ways he should not admit. He had fantasised about her body and now those scenes flooded his mind. He tried to walk casually towards her but her magnificently dazzling emerald eyes had locked onto his and it felt more like a scene from a B-grade Wuthering Heights movie. He kissed her lightly on the cheek and was surprised that she smelled of flowers. It was a cheap imitation of an expensive perfume he recognised and he decided to buy her the real one very soon. "You look and smell exquisite," he whispered, "that can be our new word."

Barbara felt her face flame at the compliment. "Thank you," she said shyly. She looked around. "Where are Judith and your mother?"

"Already left. We'll meet them up there."

Tommy offered Barbara his arm. She caught William's eye and he winked at her. When Tommy went to start the electric buggy he could not help but tease her. "When I said show him a sign I had no idea you would take me so literally with your little green light."

Barbara blushed. "I never thought of it that way! Is it too much? I was trying to blend in."

"Blend in you won't but no, I think it is perfect. My soon to be brother-in-law could not take his eyes off you."

Tommy drove them through the town. She had expected to stop at the funicular but instead he drove to the heliport. "Oh no. We're not, are we?" she asked horrified. _How am I going to get into that with this skirt!_

"We have to arrive on time," William said.

Barbara glowered at Tommy. "You should have said."

He was mildly concerned. "You're not scared of helicopters are you?"

"No but I am not exactly dressed for it."

"I'll help you," he said politely but his intentions were not as honourable as he sounded.

Barbara was fascinated by the view for short ride up to Rothorn. The alps spread before her and in the late afternoon light the mountain tops sparkled like diamonds. The helicopter landed about two hundred metres from the restaurant and Barbara silently cursed her shoes. They were only an inch higher than her flats but if she had known she had to walk on the rocky path she might well have considered jeans and her runners. Tommy offered his arm and had a sly, beaming smile across his face. He looked far too pleased with himself but she had to admit she enjoyed knowing that she was the cause.

There was a large terrace on the cobblestones beside the restaurant and seats had been set up in two arcs for the service. Tommy escorted Barbara to her seat in the front row. She had no idea there would be anyone other than the family attending but it seemed as if half of Zermatt had turned up. When Tommy went to find his mother she felt scrutinised by the curious gazes of the guests. She knew her face was red. It was a painful reminder that she was not part of their circle. No one she knew, other than Tommy, would jet off overseas to a friend's wedding.

Tommy found his mother in the restaurant attending to Judith who looked stunning in a cream suit. "There you are Tommy!" Daze said when she spotted him.

"Mother."

"Barbara looks beautiful."

"Yes, she does," Tommy said clearly not focussed on his mother.

"Does she know how you feel?"

The question took him by surprise but he answered honestly. "I think so."

"I think so doesn't convince me Tommy. William said he interrupted you the other day. You've been together constantly so you must know how she reacted when you finally acted."

"The moment hasn't been right. I haven't 'acted' as you put it."

"Oh son. You spend your life looking for the perfect moment and you miss all the ones that come along. Carpe diem Tommy! Make you own perfect moments or you'll continue to wander around being miserable. Stop torturing yourself by trying to be the perfect Lord Asherton all the time and just be true to what your feel. No go out there and decide what you want in life."

Tommy returned to his seat and sat beside Barbara. He was quite shaken by his mother's words and looked at Barbara unsure what to do or say. She smiled at him. He saw her discomfort being here and stretched his arm around her shoulders. He was sending a signal to both her and the spectators. He leant towards her to say something reassuring when alpenhorns sounded. They both looked across to see Matthias, Jens and Dirk. Barbara smirked and Tommy grimaced. "I can't get away from them!"

She did not want this to create tension so she nervously turned towards him and reached out to take his hand. His fingers closed around hers quickly and he looked at her in a way that made her want to hold him and never let him go.

With his hand holding hers and his other arm around her she was in the perfect position for him to kiss her. Tommy understood that Barbara was uncomfortable in these surroundings and knew how hard it was for her to show affection so publicly. He thought about how it would look. It was hardly appropriate, not here, not now. It should be private; just between them. Then he remembered her comment about living in the moment and his mother's words. He stopped thinking and acted. It was a memorable kiss; nothing passionate but gentle and full of love. In other circumstances it would have been just the start of many such kisses. "Hold that thought," he whispered as he released her hand and removed his arm.

Barbara's head was spinning. They had been playing on the edges with affectionate pecks and she had anticipated that their kiss in the cave would have been fiery and passionate. Somehow this was better; it had spoken of respect, and understanding and the tenderness in both their hearts. If she did not think of all the people behind them that had witnessed it, it was the perfect kiss. _My God, Dorothy! _Barbara turned around slowly to look but his mother was not in sight. She sighed, relieved that she did not have to explain that to her.

The ceremony started and Dorothy joined them. Barbara could not look at her. Dorothy had seen the kiss from where she stood with Judith just inside the restaurant. _About time! _She was delighted. Judith was happy and it seemed Tommy might finally find peace and love as well.

During the reception inside the traditional Swiss restaurant Barbara concentrated on her manners. She did not want to embarrass Tommy. She limited her toasts to sips, not letting down her guard. She had admired the untroubled way he had given his speech and the smooth way he had danced with his mother and sister. William had danced with her and had discreetly issued orders so she did not trip them up. When it was her time to dance with Tommy she was afraid. He would probably forget she was completely out of her depth. Whether planned or not the song was a slow one and their dance was deliciously intimate. Barbara was pulled firmly to him and his hand stroked her back in a loving, comforting way. Their feet barely moved. He leant down and she thought he might kiss her again. This time it seemed more natural and she did not care who saw them. Instead he simply said, "at the end of this song let's go outside."

The terrace was cool. The last light was fading and the mountains were silhouetted against the darkening sky. Barbara shivered and Tommy whipped off his coat and placed it carefully around her shoulders. He took her hand and led her towards the wall that bordered the terrace and the mountainside. "Alone at last."

Barbara knew that this time their kiss would not be restrained. They had been thwarted too often. She waited for him to kiss her. Years of repressed feelings were about to be channelled into this kiss. She was surprisingly calm.

"If Matthias even thinks of coming near us he is going over the edge," he declared. Tommy was nervous. The build-up had been too long and now he had a mild case of performance anxiety. He wanted this to be perfect but his mother's words haunted him. It was more important that she understood he loved her like he had never loved anyone else. He started slowly; first he kissed her cheek then kissed his way towards her mouth. He took a deep breath before he kissed her; slowly, passionately and with a tenderness that ripped open his heart.

Barbara responded instantly taking Tommy a little by surprise with her eagerness. He was not sure why he had expected her to be hesitant but as passions quickly soared he soon wished they were back at the chalet and not on a mountain top. He broke the kiss in order to slow things down. At this rate they would be searching for a quite spot somewhere here for some type of fast and furious encounter and that was not how he wanted tonight to end. He had planned this since he had seen her bedroom and he intended to make this fantasy real.

At that moment, had he asked, Barbara would have voted for fast and furious. These few days had been unexpected and lovely but she was not deluded enough to think this would translate back to London. She had no idea how they could go back to their old relationship but right now all she wanted was for Tommy to kiss her and make her feel special. She wanted him to make love to her and could tell from his physical reactions he wanted that too. That's why she was so disappointed when he stopped.

"Sorry," she said when he pulled away. She suspected she had been too keen and he had remembered who he was actually kissing.

"Why? I could do this for the rest of my life but I'm a man Barbara, I have...weaknesses."

He sounded almost pathetic and Barbara almost laughed. She decided to turn their sudden awkwardness into a joke. "So you didn't bring me to Switzerland to seduce me on a mountain top then, I'm disappointed."

"Are you? I brought you here because I could not imagine five days without you."

Barbara was not sure how to answer that but it sounded so sweet she wanted to kiss him again. Tommy started to fumble around her waist and it was only when he pulled out a small cloth bag that she realised he had been feeling for the inside pocket of his jacket.

"I bought you a gift and before you say no hear me out please. Barbara, I know this sounds sudden given our history but I can't imagine not spending every day of my life with you. I didn't bring you here to seduce you on a mountain although at the moment that has enormous appeal. I brought you here, away from work, to see if what I feel and what I suspect you feel was more than just a deepening friendship. Somewhere along the line, a long time ago I think, I fell in love with you. I wanted us to relax and get in touch with who we are underneath all the titles and ranks. I wanted you to love me, Tommy, not just DI Lynley or Lord Asherton."

She stared at him unwilling to believe her ears. The answer was obvious but she had not expected to tell him; ever, let alone now. She swallowed hard. "I like and respect DI Lynley and Lord Asherton has grown on me but it's always been Tommy who has been my friend. It is Tommy I fell in love with years ago and it's Tommy that I'll love for the rest of my life."

They stared at each other and it was hard to tell who was more shocked by her statement. Tommy took something from the bag and fastened it around her wrist before he pulled her into an embrace. It might have seemed like the moment to kiss her but instead Tommy wanted to feel the intense emotional connection he had felt that day in Suffolk when he had held her as she wept. It had been then he had first known that she was the one person in the world he could not live without.

For Barbara. holding him close and being enveloped in his arms had an almost mystical quality. Energy and love seemed to flow freely between them in a way that calmed her mind and her doubts. She caressed his back as she buried her face into his chest. He smelt wonderfully earthy. She bumped his belt with her wrist and remembered his gift.

Curiosity made her look and she gasped when she saw the watch she had admired the other day. It went against all her prejudices to accept it but she knew he meant it as a gesture of love and not a show of wealth and power. "When did you buy this?" she asked knowing he had barely been out of her sight.

"I paid over the phone and they delivered it today. I bought it for you because I thought if I asked you to marry me tonight you would run right off this mountain but now I wish it was a ring."

Barbara almost fell off the mountain. "Was that a proposal?"

"Not exactly," he said testing the waters to see how she would react. "Think of it as advanced notice that one is coming so that you can have your answer ready."

"You already know my answer."

Tommy was shocked. He had expected her to argue about the watch and about marrying him and the whole Acton versus Eton disparity. Another enigma key perhaps; simply show her you love her and it will overcome all the doubts and fears. He chuckled inwardly wondering what the fifth key would be. Somehow he thought tonight he would find out.

Tommy defied his age and future spinal damage and picked her up and spun her around. He lowered her to the ground and kissed her ravenously, just the way he had intended in the ice cave.

Ten minutes later they were landing in Zermatt. It had cost him a handsome sum of Swiss francs but the helicopter pilot had been happy to fly them back. At the chalet he quickly grabbed his bathrobe and the box that had been delivered earlier before they went to her room. Tommy locked the door and kissed her lovingly. "Now I do intend to seduce you...Your Ladyship."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note:<strong> Here ends the T-rated story.


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